Raleigh Durham Foodies Help!

Heading down in early February to visit my little brother at Duke. Never been down to the area, and hear there is lots of great food. Only there for two nights, so what are my must stops? Would love to do BBQ one night and something else great the other. HELP PLEASE!!!

Thanks!

I graduated from Duke a few years ago and try to get down there about once a year. For BBQ, my favorite is Allen and Son in Chapel Hill. I would avoid Bullock’s in Durham - I’ve never had a good experience. Also had a good experience with The Pit in Raleigh, but it wasn’t as good the second time I went. Allen and Son is a classic and the best in that region IMO (had some good experiences further east in NC, but too far away from the Triangle).

For other dining, I’m a big fan of Magnolia Grill in Durham, which is just off East Campus. Andrea Reusing has been getting great press for Lantern in Chapel Hill, but I had a really disappointing meal there around this time last year. I always stop by Cook-Out when I’m down there for a burger and shake (your brother has to be familiar with this place for late night dining runs).

If you have a chance, definitely do the drive through at sunrise biscuit kitchen for breakfast in Chapel Hill - crave those biscuits all the time now that I live further north. Scratch bakery had some good pie in downtown Durham when I was there last year.

Try to get in a basketball game in Cameron if you have a chance.

I went to Law school at Duke and I haven’t been back in a long time. The Angus Barn was a great steak house and surprisingly had an excellent wine list.

One on my roommates from college lives in Raleigh and we did a golf trip down there last year. The Angus Barn was fantastic. Great atmosphere, good food and a very nice wine list. Ask if they have any wine specials. We drank a 1992 Mount Eden Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Old Vine Reserve off the specials list at a very good price. If you smoke cigars (or even if you don’t) ask to see the Cigar lounge. After the smoking regulations changed, they converted an old meat locker into the lounge. You go down through the kitchen to get there passing the steps to the wine cellar which we also took a tour of.

We had one real good barbecue meal. I’ll try to get the name of the restaurant.

Turns out that we went to the place that Ken mentioned - The Pit. We had a great meal.

What about Clyde Coopers BBQ? Thought it was great last time I was there. Just straight ahead no frills BBQ.



Allen and Son on the outskirts of Chapel hill, and Clyde Cooper’s in Raleigh, are probably the best of the bunch unless you’re willing to travel pretty far afield (like Stephenson’s in Willow Spring) - though I’ve heard very good things about The Pig in Chapel Hill: http://www.thepigrestaurant.com/

No need to avoid Bullock’s - it closed about a year ago, after a 38 year run.

Perhaps before and after Ed Mitchell, The Pitmaster, left? Mitchell is a national treasure.

Review of Cooper’s: http://www.bbqgeek.com/2010/04/clyde-coopers-barbecue-raleigh-ny.html

Review of The Pit (before Ed Mitchell left): http://www.bbqgeek.com/2010/02/the-pit-raleigh-nc.html

Thanks so much for the feedback. So we are going to do Magnolia Friday night and Lantern Saturday night. Going to hit up the BBQ spots for lunches…thinking a crawl may be in order. And yes, of course we’re going to a game at Cameron. First I got basketball tickets, then booked flights…

The Pit has a four top bar that overlooks the kitchen call the Hawg Bar. Sit there and tell them to “feed me”. I haven’t been since Ed left, but I’ve eaten a LOT of bbq and invest in a BBQ restaurant. Doing that was the single best 'que experience of my life. We talked to him and ate pretty much the entire menu over a 2 hour period…for $24.99 a person.

That is what I chalked it up to, but I haven’t been there nearly enough to know whether quality declined or it was just a day to day thing. The barbecue was still good, just not mind-blowingly good.

The grits souffle at Magnolia is one of my favorite dishes anywhere (and has been on the menu for a long long time).

Thanks to everyone for the great recommendations. We had a great time. Friday night we hit Magnolia Grill for dinner. Everything was great, with highlights being the grits souffle and outstanding desserts. Saturday afternoon, we did a mini BBQ crawl in Chapel Hill, stopping at Allen & Sons and The Pig. Allen & Sons was my fave of the two, and was exactly what I was looking for in NC BBQ. The chopped pork was outstanding and the hushpuppies were outrageous. The Pig had some highlights too. I thought their ribs were better, but the chopped pork and hushpuppies not as good. Then to Cameron for the Duke-Maryland game, which was a great time. Saturday night at the Lantern in Chapel Hill. Again, really great food. Not a bad course. Short trip, but great time and great food. Thanks again.

Wish I would have seen this earlier, but my advice would have been the same. Pork Belly at Magnolia is off the charts good.

I’ve been underwhelmed both times I went to Angus Barn. The gun room is cool, the wine list is great, but the food was meh and the service was o.k.

Next time you’re there, try Watts Grocery. Right next to campus with great food and cocktails; I usually squeeze a lunch in there each year when I go back.

Glad to see you caught a home game. Nothing like being in Cameron when the crowd goes wild. That said, I don’t know if Duke v Maryland is the same without “SWEAT GARY SWEAT!!!”

I forgot about this place - it’s a great brunch spot. Have been meaning to make their churros for a while now:

Bumping this up. Any Raleigh Durham or nearby recommendations. Don’t need Barbecue.

Has anyone been to Angus Barn? I am going for the wine and just hoping the food is edible.

Hi Robert,

I had a great meal at Poole’s Diner in 2019 but when I was there in May the dining room was still closed and they were only doing takeout. It looks like they finally opened the dining room.

Fellow Berserker Nathan V owns Rue Cler in Durham, I haven’t been yet but it’s on my to do list for the next trip.

Here is a thread with still old, but more recent info:

We ate at Nathan’s place two summers ago and it was a wonderful bistro, highly recommended

Thanks Brent and Mel - I have reached out to Nathan. I have been to both Poole’s Diner and Rue Cler glad to hear they are still around.